Euskal Oiloa Chicken Forum

A place to find out more and share what you know about this awesome rare poultry breed! **NOTE: Those who wish to register as a new member on the forum are asked to email eochickenforum@gmail.com and an Administrator will gladly help you join the forum!

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Hello From South Carolina

Hello Everyone. We are completely new to this breed. Didn't know it existed until last week while searching for eggs on eBay. We have yet to get any but plan on ordering eggs shortly and start. Would like to breed true to type so when they are entered into the APA we will have a head start. Any direction we can get would be great. Not sure where else to look for eggs besides on ebay. We currently raise a lot of different breeds but have been looking for the "one" to add.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

Welcome to the EO Forum! The Basque Hen in North America is in need of dedicated, experienced breeders - like folks willing to stick with them for 10 or more years... How long have you been working with chickens?

Skyline still sells them, and Sandhill is offering them later this summer.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

Not sure if that was directed to me or not. But will answer. I've raised chickens for about 8 years. Been breeding for about 3. Started with egg layers and the breeders were cochins. Started with smooth and added frizzles. Breed for color and characteristics. Found out that I really didn't want to stick with them. I love mine but really not good for egg/meat production. Raised Marans and crossed with EE for Olive eggs but everyone is doing that. So lost interest. I bought a bunch of Wyandottes last year. Started learning about SOP and been raising greys but issues with leg color. Worked on that a little and I am actually getting the right color shank which I was told was hard to do. Apparently I was able to do it. Now I am letting them sit for a bit. On my second generation with them. Will change up the pens come next spring and work some more on them. I have some roos that I need to grow out. I also have Jubilee Orps. Working on them to get them back to where they are supposed to be color wise. A little more about me. I started with 6 chickens, added 4, some died. Moved from NJ to SC. Was down to 3. Founded a Non Profit Hobby Farm group. Then found the chicken auction. Added more chickens. Found tons of breeds that interested me. Spent the last two years trying to figure out what I want. Love orps but everyone has them. I wanted a true Heritage breed. Been looking at Rhonde Island Reds. As well as Delawares and Red Leghorns. But once again I want something different. Been trying to figure it out then I found this breed. I love the fact that it is a dual purpose. So those that do not make the "cut" can be used for meat or egg laying. No one I know has them and I don't really want to ask. I want to have something that you do not find. I am willing to work on a breed. I have a basic understanding of genetics and what to look for.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

Yup - that was me, directed at you! I can be blunt sometimes, and context and inflection don't always get translated through my keyboard. If I step on your toes, just say Hey!- get off my toes! This forum is the best bunch of folks you'll ever meet. Euskal Oiloak just bring great folks together.

My chicken experience is way less than yours, and the more I learn the more I realize just how much I don't know!

These bird grow on you though, My Australorps huddle on the far side of the pen, my Marans flee flapping, clearing the fence if they think I'm getting too close, and the Barred Rocks eye me warily from a safe distance... but when I go in the EO pen, I have to do the EO shuffle to keep from stepping on them. Even when they are free ranging they come, I bust out laughing at the big girls running with their wings out - can't quite get off the ground but they aren't going to miss a treat!

Re: Hello From South Carolina

LOL... Blunt is good. I like blunt. I get defriended from being blunt. So I a good. Sometimes hard to follow threads, especially when new to a site. That is how a lot of my chickens are. They really don't want to play with me. That was one of the reasons I like these. Especially the line I read somewhere that they are ridiculously friendly to the point of annoying. How many of these do you have?

Re: Hello From South Carolina

Re: Hello From South Carolina

I don't do Facebook, sorry. I have heard of there being pages tho, try keywords Basque Hens, Marraduna, Marraduna Basque, Euskal OiloaThen there's a sizeable thread on the BYC forum...

Predator pressure around here is so harsh I gave up trying to count my birds and keep track of them. I just try to keep a hatch in the 'bator all the time, lol

Well, not really but close to it! I've got 60 eggs cooking now, and working at putting another 60 egg hatch together. If they don't get eaten, that should keep us in chicken and eggs through to the next hatching season. I'll winter over the twelve best girls and select from them come spring for the new line up.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

@ MG "the EO shuffle" good way to describe it. I have stepped on so many toes!!! I love it too when they come running at you as well, the head goes out straight and flat, the wings start flapping and they do this side to side wobble Mine just hear the back screen door slam and if they are in the barn they come a running down the ramp to the outside pen to see me

Re: Hello From South Carolina

I had a friend that lives in town over for dinner. I asked him did he have a garbage disposal in the sink and he said yes. I said have you seen my garbage disposal? It never clogs. He came over and looked down the drain - I said, no up here... pushed up the kitchen window and flung out a bowl of apple peelings. The EOs all came flapping. He thought that was pretty funny.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

theroaringlion wrote:

Okay so you guys are really talking me into it. Where can I buy eggs?

Do you ever ? Are you looking for some laying hens just to try them, or are you aiming to get started breeding?

Starting with eggs can be pretty sketchy, even if you set 100 of them... And that can get really expensive, hoping for a 50% hatch rate on shipped eggs, then 1/2 of them are boys, then growing them out to get the best two pairs or such.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

Welcome theroaringlion, I hope you are able to hook up with these birds. Be warned though ... there is no going back ... moohaha! We can always use another genetic brain on here to help those of us not quite so gifted in that department. I am sure I drive Susan and pg and others crazy with all my questions ... hmmm that brings me to another question.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

Island Girl wrote:

Welcome theroaringlion, I hope you are able to hook up with these birds. Be warned though ... there is no going back ... moohaha! We can always use another genetic brain on here to help those of us not quite so gifted in that department. I am sure I drive Susan and pg and others crazy with all my questions ... hmmm that brings me to another question.

Re: Hello From South Carolina

Maggiesdad, I do travel back and forth from SC to NJ a couple times a year. Not sure how far you are fro I95. I will probably start with eggs since I have not found any available chicks as of yet. Plus it will always be good to have different blood lines. I am not NPIP either as of this moment. But I am planning on taking the class come August. Not sure if I will have my farm NPIP Certified but at least I would be able to test my flock.